Their hard, translucent shells variety from brown come grey in color. Lock sweet in taste and have a soft or firm texture, depending upon the variety.

You are watching: What happens if you eat raw shrimp

Although shrimp are a famous delicacy in numerous countries, plenty of people think that they’re unsafe to eat raw.

This write-up tells you whether raw shrimp room safe to eat.


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Raw shrimp are eaten in numerous cultures worldwide. In part regions, the liquid inside their heads is considered a delicacy.

In Japan, it’s typical to uncover fresh sashimi made of raw shrimp, while in China, this shellfish is sometimes consumed live after being soaked in a solid liquor dubbed baijiu.

Yet, shrimp may harbor bacteria, viruses, and parasites that might lead come food poisoning or illnesses (1, 2, 3).

Nonetheless, shrimp is one of the most commonly consumed shellfish in the united States and accounts because that 50% that total worldwide aquafarming. It’s additionally a an excellent source of several nutrients, consisting of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and iodine (3, 4, 5).

Still, the harmful bacteria and viruses that may exist in shrimp have the right to only be eliminated through high-temperature cooking (3, 6).

Due to the threat of food poisoning, life shrimp are considered unsafe come eat.

Summary

Shrimp is a nutritious and also popular shellfish. However, eat them life is not recommended, together it may boost your risk of food poisoning.


Potential dangers of eat raw shrimp

One in every six Americans experiences food poisoning yearly (7, 8).

Consuming life shrimp boosts your threat of food poisoning and food contamination.

May save harmful bacteria

Raw shrimp frequently contain a bacterium called Vibrio. End 70 species exist, 12 of i m sorry are recognized to reason illness in humans (9, 10, 11, 12).

A examine in 299 life shrimp samples identified that 55% included potentially harmful Vibrio types responsible for conditions like gastritis, cholera, and also infections (12).

In addition, a study in farmed shrimp found 100 strains that Vibrio, plenty of of which were resistant come antibiotic treatment (13).

In a review of 10 seafood processing plants in Nigeria, 100% that shrimp harbored Bacillus bacteria, which is commonly associated with diarrhea and also vomiting (14).

May bring about illness

Food poisoning is a common illness connected with eating bacteria-laden foods. Symptom may encompass vomiting, stomach cramps, fever, and diarrhea (8).

In fact, end 90% that food poisoning instances are brought about by Salmonella, E. Coli, Vibrio, or Bacillus, every one of which can be uncovered in life shrimp (15, 16, 17).

In addition, norovirus is a contagious illness typically linked to eating raw shellfish prefer shrimp (16, 18).

Around 1 exchange rate diarrhea-related food poisonings occur an international each year. End 5,000 civilization die each year from foodborne illnesses in the United says alone (16).

As such, older adults, pregnant women, and also young youngsters should take it special treatment to stop raw or undercooked shrimp, as these populations might have jeopardized immune systems and are therefore at a greater risk of capturing a fatal illness (17, 18).

Summary

life shrimp might contain harmful bacteria and also viruses that could lead to condition or death. Those v weakened immune systems, such as pregnant women, should take extra precautions to prevent raw or undercooked shrimp.


Eating life shrimp is no recommended because of the danger of food poisoning.

Therefore, food preparation shrimp properly is the safest method to eat them.

As wrong harvesting, handling, and also storage techniques deserve to increase the danger of contamination, it’s ideal to to buy high-quality shrimp native a reliable source. Look because that a brand certifying safe handling in accordance through food safety and security guidelines (19, 20).

Fresh shrimp must be refrigerated and also consumed within four days or frozen because that up to 5 months (20).

The safest way to thaw frozen shrimp is to take it it out of that is packaging and also store it in a refrigerator overnight or as much as 24 hours. This minimizes the spread out of harmful bacteria (20).

To prepare, wash her shrimp thoroughly, as any dirt might conceal bacteria, and ensure that other food items remain at a safe street to protect against cross-contamination (20).

While together techniques may reduce the expansion of part harmful bacteria, they i will not ~ kill all of the bacteria present. Thus, even if friend prepare them carefully, raw shrimp quiet pose a risk of illness.

Instead, friend should cook shrimp until they space opaque or pink in color or have reached an internal temperature that 1450F (63℃). Most harmful bacteria and viruses space eliminated throughout the cooking process (20, 21, 22).

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Summary

part preparation techniques may assist reduce the growth of bacteria in raw shrimp, however you should always cook it correctly to minimize your hazard of food poisoning.